It is well known that everyday activities of man, under contemporary conditions of life, result in frequent outcome of various spine maladies, and maladies of the associated neck, body and extremities muscles. These maladies, as a rule, are manifesting themselves in form of fatigue, firstly, and with their progressing they start perishing the functions of the spine, nerves and blood vessels and, through all this, the associated muscles. In such cases it is necessary to undertake their treatment and recovery to enable them to assume their functional condition. The integral part of a complete therapy is, certainly, the physical therapy, i.e. the physio-therapeutical or recreative training of the malady-affected parts of the body.
For the purpose of the mentioned physical therapy and recreation, the simplest apparatus have been so far used for extension of the spine. In these devices, the patient's head is tied to an axially moving element, while the patient's legs are fixed to, or rested on, other fixed elements. Gradual extension of the patient's spine, who has been laid down on an attached table, is carried out by hand or hand-controlled motion of an axially-movable head tie-element. For spine extension, adequate weights have been used to maintain extension, achieved by additional force after the completion of the extension cycles.
Disadvantages of such a solution are in that the mentioned solution is not sufficiently universal for treatment of the majority of maladies and deformations of the spine in practice.
One prior art apparatus, much more universal, and known in the engineering art, is described in the non-patent literature as the "TESI" extension system and is manufactured by a company having the same name located in Taufkiches, Federal Republic of Germany. This apparatus is envisaged for complete physical therapy of the spine and comprises a treatment table, complete with a base and a control device, on whose one end there is provided a movable tie-element, with movable belts for patient's head fixation, while on the opposite end of the table there are provided corresponding devices for axial motion of the tie-elements. Elements for heating of the spine, for causing vibration and massage with adequately shaped rolls are also provided. They move axially and radially-wise in relation to the table surface and along the patient's spine following accurately the spine contours.
Disadvantages of this apparatus are in its limited action along the spine axis, and through this, along the associated patient's muscles of neck and body. Namely, the spine of the patient always remains in the axial position, i.e. it cannot be moved in radial - wise or any other direction. This is a statical and passive method of treatment.
In the present engineering art status, there are known so-called training bicycles of various designs, used as independant devices for physical therapy, rehabilitation, recreation and training of the lower parts of the body, particularly of the lower part of the spine, legs and feet muscles.
A disadvantage of these devices is that they cannot be used for any prescribed treatment of the patient's body upper parts.